Team Visma | Lease a Bike has confirmed the signing of Canadian rider Sarah van Dam, who joins from Ceratizit Pro Cycling after a breakthrough 2025 season. The 23-year-old, originally from Victoria, makes the step after securing her first Women’s WorldTour podiums and establishing herself as one of the peloton’s emerging all-rounders.
Van Dam began cycling at school through a local youth programme before specialising in track, representing Canada internationally, and later shifting her focus towards road racing. Her early years with DNA Pro Cycling gave her vital European experience, and the move to the WorldTour in 2024 accelerated her development.
Photo Credit: GettyThis past season was the clearest sign of her potential. She impressed at Itzulia Women, taking 2nd on the final stage and finishing 3rd overall, alongside podium finishes at Ronde de Mouscron and Festival Elsy Jacobs à Garnich. Consistency has been a hallmark of her year, with 5th in GC at the Tour of Britain Women, 5th at La Classique Morbihan, and top-10s in the Tour Down Under, Giro d’Italia Women, GP Plumelec-Morbihan, and the Tour de France Femmes.
“I know I have a lot to learn, both physically and tactically. This team provides the perfect environment to take the next step,” Van Dam said. “I’m excited to contribute the coming three years to a winning team and play my part in it. I would like to help our leaders win, and show that I can also fight for results myself.”
Team manager Rutger Tijssen welcomed the signing: “Sarah is a young and talented rider with strong values in the medium-duration efforts. We see her as someone who can play an important role in the hilly classics in the near future. In the longer term, she has the potential to develop into a stage race rider. We are happy she chose our team, and we will invest the time to help her grow step by step.”
Van Dam has described stage races and Ardennes-style one-day events as her main interests, pointing to the kind of courses that reward endurance and a sharp sprint from a reduced group. After joining one of the sport’s most powerful teams, she now has the structure and support to turn her promise into results at the very top level.
